PERSONAL AND POLITICAL: CHANGING FACE OF BENGALI MIDDLE CLASS IN AMIT CHAUDHURI’S FREEDOM SONG

Abstract

The middle class in India has emerged as a very powerful section of society who has played a very decisive role in the course of history of the nation, specially after independance. Through time this rather unorganized class has undergone a lot of transformations, both socially and culturally. Amit Chaudhuri, in all his novels faithfully presented the Bengali middle class society. In his third novel, Freedom Song, Chaudhuri has portrayed the relation of mainstream Bengali middle class families with political and economic situations of the country. Set in the backdrop of Calcutta, he picked up contemporary political upheavals and the reaction of the people belonging to that apparently secured section of the society, known as Bengali Bhadralok. At the same time he makes frequent journey through time and brings up socio-political scenarios from various time frames a compilation of which holds up the complete picture of the changes the people of this class has went through .The apparent non-involving nature of the middle class, irrespective of their provincial identity is not only portrayed perfectly but also seems to be infiltrated into the narrative of the novel and set the mood.